Cuban and Italian-Hungarian Fury
by Immorura
Summary: Another fairy tale based idea that would not leave my head. And again, I'm not saying which one as it will give the plot away before the story even starts! And Of course, it's a Babe story.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Stephanie Plum. Former E.E. Martin's women's lingerie buyer and recently resigned bounty hunter. By _recently_ I mean 20 minutes ago, as I had just stormed out of my cousin Vinnie's bonds office.

Here's the thing; nearly a year ago, I was married to a total asshole. The marriage might have survived for more than 10 months if I had not found him being humped on my dining room table.

Once I was newly divorced, I moved into a cheap, but suitable, apartment building where my hamster, Rex, and I were the only residents under 65. As if it couldn't get any worse, 6 months later E.E. Martin's went bust where I was laid off then later evicted after my rent was over a month overdue, forcing me to move back in with my parents and Grandma Mazur.

During dinner, my mom told me Vinnie was hiring at the bonds office. At first I was a little reluctant since my weasel cousin was rumoured to have had _romantic_ relations with a duck. But with nothing to lose and with very little optimism, I actually got a job as a Bond Enforcement Agent after blackmailing Vinnie by threatening to blab to his wife. I was also reunited with an old acquaintance, Connie Rossolli, the real-life Betty Boop who had connections to _wise guys._

3 weeks later, everything was going fine until my arch enemy walked in to the bonds office; Joyce Barnhardt, Jessica Rabbit's evil twin who was infamous for making everyone miserable in school and causing the breakups of several marriages of men who had more cash than braincells.

Turns out, Vinnie had hired her as a BEA too and I'd bet anything that he didn't even take a glance at her résumé.

So here I am, back at the dinner table staring at the gravy boat; doomed to an entire life of misery.

"Don't look like that," Grandma said, nudging me with a bony elbow. "You can't let these things get you down. If I sat around and moped after your grandfather passed, I wouldn't be here."

" _And that's a bad thing?"_ My dad mumbled.

Grandma flipped him the bird.

Dad looked up from his plate. "Seriously though, Pumpkin. You won't get anywhere sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. You've got to pull yourself together and find a job."

"or husband." Mom interjected.

We looked up at her. Dad sighed and shook his head.

"I _had_ a husband," I argued. "and he was an ass."

Mom acted as though she didn't hear me as she took away our empty plates. "Joe Morelli's been asking for you,"

My mouth fell open. " _What?!_ That jerk?"

She frowned at me. "There's no need for names, Stephanie. I know I warned you multiple times about him when you were younger, but he's a police officer now and he inherited his Aunt Rose's house."

"I don't care if he can make it rain doughnuts! I want nothing to do with him. You know what he did to me behind the counter at the bakery when I was 16 as well as what he wrote about all over the school bathrooms."

"I know," Mom sighed. "But people change, Stephanie."

I had known Joseph Morelli my entire life. He's 2 years older than me and nailed every girl who was legal in high school. After _doing the deed_ at the bakery, he promised to call once he left for the navy. He never did, and after seeing him walking down the street, I ran him over with grandma's Buick and broke his leg.

 _I never heard from him after that for some reason..._

After dessert, I excused myself and went upstairs to my old bedroom. I said hello to Rex and slumped down on my bed.

I contemplated about getting started on searching for a job when I realised it involved getting up and talking to people. Neither which I had the strength to do.

My cell-phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw Connie's name.

"Hey," I said, "What's up?"

"I got some good news for ya," Connie answered, sounding excited. "I managed to get you a job interview from a guy who owed me a favour."

I got suspicious. _"…what kind of guy?"_

"A cool guy who owns a security company. He's looking for someone to work on computers."

"You mean a whiz-kid with half a dozen I.T. diplomas…who is not me in other words?"

"I said _on_ not _with_. I let him look at your résumé and he thinks you'll be suitable."

I thought about it for half a second. "Okay, great. When is it?"

"Tomorrow at 3, I'll text you the details, and dress in black, he'll like it."

I thanked her and hung up.

A minute later, my phone pinged and Connie's text popped up.

 _Rangeman Security Corporation in Haywood, May 12_ _th_ _3pm, remember to dress in black!_

Now I just needed to find something to wear…

(\\_/)

 _What did I get myself into?_

It was 5 minutes to 3 and my palms were already sweating. _Rangeman_ was a small 7 story office building with a fancy built-in parking lot.

It took me over 12 hours to realise that I never learned this guy's name and I agreed to meet for a job interview with him.

 _Stephanie Plum, do you ever learn?_

Hefting a sigh, I got out of my car and did a last-minute check of my appearance in the reflection of the window.

I was wearing a pair of black slacks with a black shirt with a white sewn in collar and cuffs. I tamed my hair as best as I could with half a can of mousse so it fell in bouncy curls, and kept my make-up simple: black eyeliner, lots of black mascara, and dark red lipstick.

 _Well, here goes nothing._

I walked through the main entrance. A sturdy, blond man stood up from the front desk to greet me. He was dressed in a black polo shirt with the company name embroidered in white, and black cargo pants.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" He asked politely.

I put on my best smile. "My name's Stephanie Plum, I'm here for an interview."

He blinked at me. "With Ranger- _Carlos Manoso?"_

 _Ranger? What kind of name was that?_

"If he's the guy who read my résumé yesterday at my cousin's bonds office, yeah."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll send for someone to walk you in."

He went back over to the desk and typed at a keyboard. A moment later he looked back up and smiled at me. "I'm Hal by the way. Don't take this the wrong way, but the only other woman who works here, is Ella the housekeeper."

I shrugged a shoulder. "I was told he needed someone to work on computers."

"Are you good with I.T?"

"…I know how to turn one on and I can send an email. I do use Google a lot..."

He laughed. "That's more than I can say for myself."

I laughed with him until a door opened and a massive building of a man walked in. I tried not to stare; he was at least a foot and a half taller than me with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. His skin was a flawless dark brown and his hair was buzz cut short. He wore a similar uniform to Hal, but his looked tailor made to fit his massive build.

"Ms. Plum," He nodded to me. "Mr. Manoso is waiting for you. I'll see you in."

I quickly followed him as he turned around and walked back the same way he came in.

" _Good luck!"_ Hal called.

I sent him a smile over my shoulder before walking into an elevator. The man pushed a button, the doors closed and we went up.

"My name's Pierre by the way." He said, holding out a hand that was ginormous compared to mine as we shook. "But please, _please_ call me Tank."

I blinked at him. "Okay… _Tank_. Is it an old nickname?"

He nodded with a smile. "I got it when I was in the army and from then on, it just stuck."

"It's a cool nickname." I grinned. "And it suits you." 

Tank grinned back just as the doors opened.

He walked me out and led me down an open office where dozens of other muscled men in the company uniform sat at desks either tapping at their computers or talked on their phones.

We reached the far end of the room where Tank stopped at a door. He knocked once and walked in before me.

The room was decorated with a cool, dark vibe with a monochrome pallet. The walls were painted steel grey with a black carpet running across the floor. A black leather sofa stood at the far end of the wall parallel to a silver framed glass topped desk where my eyes fixed upon the occupant sitting at it.

"Boss, Ms. Plum's here for the interview." Tank said.

A Hispanic man with incredibly toned mocha latte skin, long dark hair tied back into a perfect low ponytail and warm brown eyes, wearing a black t-shirt that looked painted on and dark jeans glanced up at me over a grey computer monitor.

My mouth went dry.

 _The back of my neck tingled…_

"Thanks, Tank." He nodded before gesturing to a leather chair in front of the desk as Tank left the room. "Please take a seat, Ms. Plum."

With my heart pounding against my ribs, I did as he said, noticing how he stared at me intently.

"Nervous?"

I shrugged. "A little. It was kind of surprising how fast a job opportunity came up only hours after I quit working for my cousin…even though I had no idea who this interview was with and I had only just learnt your name from Hal downstairs…"

"Yet, you still came anyway." He said approvingly. "You have nerve. That's what I look for when hiring. Anyway, did Ms. Rossolli tell you what this job position is that you're applying for?"

I tried not to gulp. "You wanted someone to work on computers."

He looked at me as though I had spoken a foreign language. "Do you know what you'll be doing _on_ the computers?"

" _Security…stuff?"_

After a heartbeat-long hard stare, he shook his head. "You're lucky Ms. Rossolli told me you have excellent instincts and that you were good at tracking people as a B.E.A."

"That was nice of her."

"Hm. Anyway, _if_ I decided to hire you, you're position at Rangeman will be _fugitive apprehension investigator_. You'll be doing searches on fugitives,"

"So I'll be using Google, then?"

"No," He said bluntly. " _And do not interrupt me."_

 _Jeez…sorry…._

"As I was saying, you'll be looking for details on wanted people. Details such as a change of address, purchases, medical history, etc."

"I can definitely do that. It's not that much different from my last job… _I won't have to go after them, will I?_ "

A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. "I only allow _professionals_ to go after certain fugitives. But one key aspect of you that we need is your gender."

I blinked at him. "… _pardon?"_

"Here at Rangeman, we don't just provide security. We also take down criminal rings that are involved in drugs, prostitution and…" He let out a sigh. _"Child molesters…"_ He finished with gritted teeth. It looked painful for him to say it.

I nodded in understanding. "So, because I'm female, if children and/or young women are involved in… _a situation,_ I'll be needed as a kind of chaperon, right?"

"Right." He said. "You catch on fast, Ms. Plum."

He picked up a piece of paper from the desk. He analysed it for a moment before saying, "Fortunately for you, I don't hire people based on their smarts,"

"Hey!" I glared at him.

"Don't take it personally, I have employees who can't even spell their own name. I wouldn't care if someone had 20 PhDs from Harvard and Yale, I only hire people who have skill and initiative. Ms. Rossolli's recommendation is only how you got this far."

He looked at the paper again. "I see you currently live in the Chambersburg."

" _Yes."_ I replied dryly.

"Unless you have no problem driving to Haywood every morning, we do have employee accommodation although 20% is taken out of your salary for rent every month."

"Fine with me." I shrugged. "It's better than spending it on gas money every week."

He gave a nod. "Good. You start on Monday. But I suggest you think about moving in as soon as possible."

It took a while for it all to sink in. "I…I have the job?"

He placed down the paper and turned back to his computer, tapping at the keyboard without looking at me. "I just said you start on Monday."

I narrowed my eyes. A simple _you're hired_ would have been nice.

"I've already registered your details into the employee database. All you need to do now is move in and be ready on your first day, Also, you need to give Ella your clothing size."

"Ella?" I repeated. "The housekeeper?"

"Yes. She embroiders the Rangeman logo onto the uniforms. She'll have to order some women's shirts for you." He turned to look me up and down. "In case you didn't already know, but the uniform is the company shirt and black pants."

I glanced down at my outfit. "I hope you meant that as a joke."

He ignored me. "You may leave now, Ms. Plum."

I rose from my chair. "Thank you, Mr. Manoso."

As I was about to open the door, an aggravated sigh stopped me. "From now on, you can call me either by my first name or my street name."

 _There are other things I'd like to call you…_

I turned to smile sweetly at him. "Alright then. Thank you, _Carlos."_


	2. Chapter 2

Today was the day.

I was moving out of my parents' house- again.

After a call from Connie to tell my mother that, even though he was an ass, my new boss wasn't some ringleader of a prostitution ring- despite me telling her a hundred times that the company _took down_ those kinds of things- she was eventually happy and a teeny bit excited about my new career.

Grandma helped carry the last 2 boxes to the car.

"Do they allow families to visit?" She asked as I shoved a box of socks into the trunk. "I heard Connie say the guys who work there are hot."

I took the last box from her. "Well, I'll be living there so I don't see why not." She smiled so wide her dentures almost fell out. "But you have to behave yourself! Remember the complaint that stripper made?"

"It's not my fault he was embarrassed about his size. Why be a stripper if you're not going to show your privates?"

"That didn't mean you had to pull his thong down."

"Well he was a very handsome man below the waist."

I tried not to roll my eyes as I slammed the trunk shut. _Why couldn't my grandma just knit and bake?_

"Well, that's everything. I'm good to go."

Grandma held out her arms for a hug. "Don't be a stranger, and if you bring a man over to dinner, make sure he's got a foxy grandpa."

"Noted." I grinned. "I'll bring the Buick back once I'm moved in."

As I parked near next to the Rangeman building, Tank and a couple of other guys I hadn't met waved to me at the door.

"Hey, Stephanie." Tank smiled. I tried not to cringe as he looked at the Buick. "1953? Classic."

"It's not mine, honestly." I said. "It belonged to my uncle. After my old car got repossessed, my dad let me borrow it. I'm hoping that I'll never have to see it again."

"We have company cars," He explained. "We'll get you your employee ID card once you've moved in and then you can borrow one anytime you need to. By the way, these two are Lester and Bobby. We're all here to help you carry your stuff up to your new place."

Lester was a Hispanic guy with chin length black hair and dazzling green eyes who was of a lean but muscular build.

Bobby was an African-American man with large biceps and perfect black cornrows that went to the nape of his neck. He had warm, kind brown eyes and a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you both." I smiled.

Lester grinned. "Likewise." He took my hand and kissed it.

Bobby rolled his eyes and elbowed him to the side. "Don't be afraid to smack him around the head or castrate him if you ever feel uncomfortable."

"Hey!" Lester laughed. "I'm just being a gentleman."

He shook his head with a sigh before facing me again. "I'm the company medic here. When you've got some time, I've got a health form you'll need to fill in."

I nodded my understanding. "Okay, I don't have much stuff to move so I'll have that done today." I opened the back door and got Rex out. "Nobody here scared of hamsters, right?"

They all grinned and bent down to look inside.

"You keep a hamster in an aquarium? That's a cool idea." Lester said.

"He doesn't like cages." I explained, tapping on the lid. "Rex, come out and say hello."

Rex poked his head out of his soup can for a heartbeat before shooting back inside.

"He's not good at making first impressions."

"He fits right in." Said Tank.

It only took one trip to move all my stuff to the 6th floor where I followed everyone down a hallway. Tank stopped at a door, took out a key and placed it into the lock. He opened the door and led the way in.

I instantly fell in love.

The small foyer led to a living room with a black silver grey colour scheme, built with a combined kitchen with granite counter tops. Everything was ultra-modern from the sofa and chairs to the dishwasher. A 30-inch TV hung on the wall in front of the sofa.

I set Rex's aquarium down on the counter. "Only 20% for this place? The rent at my crappy old apartment building cost more!"

Bobby smiled as he, Tank and Lester walked out the front door. "We'll leave you to it. I'll be back once I print out the forms."

"Oh by the way," Tank said. "Ella the housekeeper will be stopping by sometime this afternoon."

"Alright then." I nodded. "Thanks."

Once Lester closed the door behind them, I couldn't contain my excitement anymore as I started to dance on the spot like an idiot.

Things were looking up. _Great job. Great place. Great work colleagues._ I owed Connie big time.

I approached another door to discover it led to the bedroom and my heart did a backflip. The walls were painted a gorgeous steel grey with a pitch-black carpet running across the floor. It must've been a south facing room as two narrow rectangular windows let in the perfect amount of light at the top of the far wall.

A dark wooded wardrobe and dresser stood parallel with a matching double bed which was made with all black bedding.

I found another door which I already assumed led to the bathroom. I let out a little squeal at the spotless white walls and shiny black floor. A combined shower and bathtub stood at the far end of the room with metal shelves hanging next to it, stocked with neatly folded black and white towels.

Now completely in love with my new home, I turned to the 5 boxes on the sofa. Unpacking wouldn't take long since I only brought clothes and a few personal sentimental items.

I carried the three boxes that contained my clothes and shoes into the bedroom. Once they were hung up and organised, I emptied the last two boxes full of sentimental stuff like photographs, ornaments and jewellery boxes and placed them around the living room and bedroom.

With the satisfaction of knowing that I was now officially moved in, I leaned against the kitchen counter and tapped against Rex's aquarium. "We're moved in now. On the understanding, I can manage to keep this job."

There was a knock at the door.

"It's open." I called.

The door opened and an elderly Hispanic lady with short black hair and friendly brown eyes, wearing a black cashmere sweater and black jeans walked in.

"Hello," She smiled warmly at me. "I'm Ella, Carlos told me another lady would be working here."

I returned the smile. "You must be wanting my clothes size. He said you embroider the uniforms."

"That's right. It'll be a pleasant change from embroidering men's clothes. You know Pierre? His uniform takes up a whole spindle of thread to embroider one shirt!"

I made a polite laugh. "I was wondering if his clothes were tailor made."

Her eyes landed on Rex's aquarium. "Oh, you have a pet?"

I felt a sudden pang of panic in my chest. "Is that a problem? I wasn't told-"

"Not at all. I like animals. It's just none of the boys here keep pets in the apartments." She smiled a reassuring smile. "You won't have to worry about keeping its home clean. I'll take care of that while I'm cleaning yours. What do you have?"

I tapped on the glass again. "Rex, come out and say hello."

Rex popped his head out of his soup can, twitched his whiskers, and scurried back in.

Ella laughed. "Isn't he sweet."

For the next hour, we sat and talked with a cup of coffee. I gave her my clothes sizes and told her the things I had on my usual grocery list.

As she was about to leave, Bobby appeared at my door. "Hey Stephanie." He grinned. "Hello Ella."

"Hello Robert, I was just on my way." She said. "I'll have your uniform ready before your first day of work, Stephanie."

Bobby stood aside to let her past before turning to hand a large envelope to me. "It's nothing complicated. Just some basic questions, who we contact in an emergency, and…erm…without trying to sound weird…with you being…Y'know…" His face started to turn red. " _Being a lady_ … _the only lady- not including Ella…_ I'm sorry, I'm used to guys... _from a medical perspective_."

I had to laugh at his embarrassment "I get the idea, and it's fine. My old doctor was a guy. He's dead now, but he was still a guy."

He nodded. "You haven't officially started work yet so hand them in when you're done. Once that's out of the way, you'll be covered for medical insurance- and yes it includes dental."

I laughed again. "That's a relief."

(\\_/)

The next day, after I had my ID card and electronic key pass (I think that's what it's called), I was free to use the company cars.

I asked Lester if he'd follow me to my parents' house in one of the _hard-core cars_ so I could return the Buick. He agreed and I couldn't wait to get rid of the gas-guzzling menace.

With it being a Sunday, traffic was quiet. Lester followed behind me easily and before I knew it, I was already saying goodbye to Big Blue.

After I pushed the keys through the mail box, my good mood instantly disappeared when I heard a familiar voice.

" _Hey, Cupcake_."

 _Joe Morelli._

He stood at the end of the drive way, grinning with both his hands in the pockets of his brown leather jacket.

I gave him a classic _Burg_ glare as I began to head towards the Rangeman car. " _Goodbye, Asshole."_

"C'mon, don't be like that." He moved to step in front of me. "Hasn't your mom told you that I've been asking after you?"

"Define _after._ You need to be more specific."

"I've been thinking about you- _a lot._ I was thinking-"

" _Forget it!_ After you screwed me back in high school, we are _never_ getting together. Besides, I have a new job now in Haywood."

He frowned. The vein in his forehead started to throb and I felt the angry vibes of the infamous Morelli Italian Temper start to radiate off him. "Yeah, I heard about that. _Rangeman..._ Connie has been blabbing."

 _To rub his face in it, no doubt._

"It even includes employee accommodation, so you won't be seeing me in The Burg as much. And don't bother trying to visit. They'll only throw you out on the curb if I say so."

I started to walk around him when he grabbed my wrist.

"Look Stephanie, I convinced you in high school and I can convince you now."

I snatched my wrist away. "Don't get too confident. You'll only be disappointed."

"Hey Stephanie," We both looked up to see Lester walking towards us while sending a cautious glare towards Morelli. "Is this guy giving you trouble?"

"Yeah. He won't take a hint, either."

Morelli scowled at him. "Just so you know, pal, _I'm a cop_."

"And that's supposed to scare me?" Lester scoffed. "I just witnessed you harassing my new colleague, and before you try to be a smartass, I've got a dashboard camera recording everything- _right now_."

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the car. "It won't look good if everyone at the P.D sees you harassing a woman."

Morelli squared his shoulders. "Are you threatening me, Buddy?"

Lester's hard stare didn't budge. "I'm giving you a chance to walk away."

Morelli glowered at him for a heartbeat before turning to me again. "Don't get too cocky, _Cupcake…_ "

And he left.

Lester's glare followed him until he was out of sight. His face instantly softened when he looked back at me. "You okay?"

I shrugged as we walked to the car. "I've had worse…not from _him_ anyway."

I got in the passenger side as Lester got behind the wheel. He started the engine and drove off back to Haywood.

"By the way," He said after about five minutes of driving. "I heard everything, what a jerk… _and they call_ _ **me**_ _a man-whore?!"_

A small giggle escaped me.

He took my hand and gave it a squeeze without taking his eyes off the road. "Seriously though, Beautiful. I won't let a word get out."

My cheeks burned when he called me that. "Thanks. I really appreciate that and…everything."

He smiled. "But would it be okay if I tell everyone about how the cop was being a-"

"You have my full blessing!"

(\\_/)

Even though I _literally_ lived at work, I wanted to get an early start.

As promised, Ella had my work shirts ready and made sure my fridge was fully stocked.

I showered, got dressed, made a cup of coffee, and poured a bowl of Cheerios.

I gave some to Rex. "It's my first day on the job."

He scurried out of his soup can, stuffed his cheeks and hurried back inside. "Thanks for the pep talk."

It was ten to nine by the time I had put my mug and bowl in the sink.

I suddenly felt nervous.

 _But it was a good kind of nervous…_

I had never done a job like this before.

I would be getting the dirt on criminals and, hopefully not on my first day, helping vulnerable people in… _situations._

I had a good feeling about this job.

I was ready to walk out when a knock came from the front door. I opened it and found Tank standing in the hall.

"Morning, Steph." He eyed me up and down. "Ready to go?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I was just about to head out actually."

He grinned. "Great. I'll walk you to your cubicle. But I gotta warn you, there's going to be a lot of stuff waiting for you."

I gave a shrug. "If I could handle E.E. Martins, I can handle anything."

… _..,_

"How many documents?!"

Tank tried (unsuccessfully) not to laugh. "I did warn you. These are all what was dug up on suspects and FTAs. Your job is to go through it and find anything useful. Don't worry about not getting it all done. It's only your first day. Ranger will stop by to see how you're doing later."

 _Oh great…_

He left me to stare at the computer screen.

I opened one file: Edward Greenway. I tried not to cry.

 _394 pages_!

No wonder nobody wanted this job. This was going to take forever!

Knowing what my new boss was like, I _really_ didn't want to miss anything that could be crucial.

If only I practised speed reading more.

Wait a minute…

 _Reading._

Maybe there was a way of getting the computer to read the document out loud to me. That would save time along with my sanity.

I knew it was possible for blind people to have their computers and smartphones talk to them. Grandma talked about it non-stop when her last boyfriend, who was close to losing his eyesight, showed her how he used his laptop.

I Googled it and to my surprise, it was a frequently asked question. I clicked on the top link and followed the instructions which were simple enough.

 _ **File. Options. Quick Access Toolbar. All commands. Speak. Add. Ok.**_

I turned the volume down to low. I highlighted a small chunk of a paragraph and clicked on the tiny speech bubble.

 _Viola!_

In a creepy and soulless robotic voice, the computer read the words out loud.

With a big grin on my face, I got out of my chair and hurried back to my apartment to retrieve a pair of ear-buds. In record time, I was back in my seat. I plugged them in, stuck the buds in my ears, got out a notepad and pen, wrote _Edward Greenway_ at the top, highlighted the text and clicked on the speech bubble.

Once the computer finished reading, I was so thankful that I had only spent twenty minutes and not hours going through a guy's records to find out the most useful thing about him was that he was arrested for pissing on his next-door neighbour.

I typed up what I had uncovered on a separate document and printed it out before moving on to the next guy.

By 10:00 am I had already gone through fifteen files. Some people had more useful information than the rest. Some took a single sheet of paper while others needed to be both stapled _and_ paper clipped together. I was on a role!

As I was printing off my twenty-third file, _the back of my neck tingled…_

I yelped when something tapped my shoulder. Feeling as though my heart was on the brink of failure, I took out my earbuds and swirled around in my chair to find Carlos frowning at me. I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes staring at us, too.

"Jeez, I almost had a heart attack!" I breathed.

"Music isn't permitted to be played during work hours, Plum." He said curtly. "I was expecting to find some leads and information on the _ever-growing_ list of suspects and FTAs, but instead I find _you_ listening to Taylor Swift."

I narrowed my eyes as I stood up from my chair.

"Okay 1. I hate Taylor Swift. _Metallica_ all the way. And 2. I wasn't listening to music. I got the computer to read aloud the files for me which has saved _hours_ of time."

I stapled the sheets of paper from the printer together and added them to the pile before picking the whole thing up to hand to him.

"Twenty-three already done." I looked at the time on the computer screen and couldn't help the smug smirk on my lips. "And it's not even noon yet."

His expression never changed. He took the papers from me. "Hm. There may be hope for you yet, Plum. How many are left?"

I looked at the screen and gritted my teeth at the size of the scroll bar "A few more.. _._ "

His lips twitched. "Since you're so proud of your newfound tactics, I expect the rest to be finished at the end of the week."

" _Fine._ " I seethed, sitting back down to open the next file. "But I expect my next task to be more challenging."

"With that attitude, your next task will be finding a new job."

He walked away as I placed my earbuds back in.

 _And I thought you liked people with nerve…_

* * *

 ** _Author's note: I highly recommend using Microsoft word's Speak tool! It has saved me from some embarrassing typos and punctuation/grammar mistakes. The instructions adding it to your toolbar are included within the chapter- exactly the way Stephanie did it.  
_**

 ** _Also, I just want to be clear that I have nothing against Taylor Swift. I just can't imagine Stephanie listening to her music (especially since we all know what her relationships are like in the books)._**


	3. Chapter 3

24 hours after my ingenious idea, I had finished analysing all the documents with three days to spare.

On my desk, I had a pile of papers containing juicy information and possible clues from the clueless who left us a trail.

I had to refill the printer a couple of times, but I didn't let that slow me down.

I stuffed my earbuds into my pocket and stretched my arms above my head, my back and elbow joints cracking.

Lester appeared at the opening of my cubical. "Hey Beautiful," He grinned. "Taking a break?"

I shook my head and patted the pile of papers. "Nope, I'm done."

I had to laugh as his mouth hit the floor.

"Already? You haven't been here a week yet! What's your secret?"

I told him about the speak tool which made him look as though Christmas had come early.

"Okay, I have _got_ to try it! If you got through seventy-plus files in two days, it could save me hours of work."

Giggling at his enthusiasm, I wrote down the instructions on how to add it to the tool bar and how to use it on my notepad and handed it to him.

"I've got to spread the word. Stephanie, you might have just saved us all!"

"Good to know." I laughed as I stood from my chair, feeling my knee joints creak. "I need some coffee now."

Lester walked me to the staff break room where we found Ella stocking the fridge with sandwiches and assorted snacks.

She smiled at us. "You look happy, Lester."

Grinning, he placed an arm around my shoulders and said, "For the first time since I took the job, I'm actually looking forward to doing paper work, thanks to Stephanie." He kissed my cheek before leaving the room.

"I see you've already made a good impression." Ella chuckled. She handed me a sandwich with a sly wink. "Peanut-butter and olives, but remember this is between you and me."

"Thanks, Ella." I laughed again, placing a mug under the coffee machine and hitting the switch before unwrapping the plastic wrap.

She observed me as I took a bite out of the sandwich. I pretended not to notice as I watched my mug fill with coffee. "Something bothering you, dear?"

I looked at her, making a small smile. "No. Nothing."

"Is _someone_ bothering you?"

I stopped mid-chew, not answering.

Her eyes widened as she drew in a long breath through her nose.

"Who is it?!" Ella demanded. "Just let me know and I'll give them salmonella!"

I nearly choked in shock as I gaped in horror at her. "E-Ella!"

Her face softened as she placed a hand on my arm. "If someone's bothering you, don't bottle it up. Is it anyone I know?"

I let out a sigh. "Two people actually. You know one of them."

"Who?"

" _Carlos_ …" I mumbled through gritted teeth.

She blinked at me. "Carlos? What's he done? What has he said to you?"

I told her about my job interview and what happened yesterday. After I finished, she nodded her comprehension.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "His manners are shocking. I know he can be a _dolor en las nalgas_ sometimes. But when you get to know him, he's not so bad when you get past his poker face and grumpiness."

I nodded. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

"So, who is this other person I should give salmonella to?"

I couldn't deny it; the idea made me smile. "He's a cop at the Trenton PD. When me and Lester went to give back my parents' car, we had a… _disagreement_."

"Oh…Lester mentioned an incident involving a police officer." She took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "You have got nothing to worry about, Stephanie. Here, you're in good hands."

I squeezed back. "Thanks, Ella."

I was on my second mug when Tank came in. He grinned when he found me sitting on one of the leather sofas.

"Santos said you've finished already. The idea of going through them files alone gives _me_ heartburn." He poured himself a mug and sat across from me. "He was going on about how you can make a computer talk."

I grinned. "I just Googled it."

He flipped his hand dismissively. "But _you_ still thought of it. I can see why Ranger hired you. You got initiative."

A warm feeling swelled in my chest as I gave him my best smile. "Thanks, Tank. That's made my day."

"Don't mention it. I'll give you your next task after I've given the papers to Ranger."

"Alright," I nodded. "They're on my desk."

(\\_/)

I was sitting at my desk waiting for Tank when my cell phone rang.

 _Withheld number_.

My Spidey-Senses started to tingle, but I pressed the green button anyway. "Hello?"

" _Hey cupcake_."

My mouth fell open.

 _Oh, God no!_

"How did you get this number?!" I demanded.

Morelli laughed. "It's a secret."

" _Sounds more like abusing your authority as an officer of the law_." I hissed. "What do you want, Morelli?"

"You already know, I want to see you."

"And I want a vacation in Hawaii, but that's not going to happen anytime soon either."

"Stephanie," His voice went hard. "be reasonable. All I want is for us to get together."

" _Get together?_ " I scoffed. "Like what you did to me behind the bakery counter?"

"well…not at the bakery."

"Urgh!" I groaned. " _Get this in to your head. I don't want to see you- I don't want to be_ _ **anywhere**_ _near you, so don't call me ever again!"_

And I hung up.

Closing my eyes, I let out a long sigh.

"Steph?"

I looked over my shoulder to find Tank standing in the opening of my cubical with an expressionless look on his face.

"Everything ok?"

Grimacing, I shrugged. "Yes. No. Maybe…How much did you hear?"

"I heard enough." He frowned. "Was that the same cop who Santos was talking about?"

" _Yeah._ Now he's got my cell phone number…"

He patted my shoulder. "Here's an idea. Tell all your friends and family if they want to talk to you, instead of calling your cell, tell them to call the Rangeman number."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why the Rangeman number?"

"All calls go through to the front desk first. Whoever picks up the line, then calls you at either your desk or your apartment and lets you know who's calling. If it's someone in your good-books, then they'll be put through. If not, then they're told to take a hike."

"That's great." I beamed. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem. Give me the jackass's name and I'll have him blacklisted right now."

"It would be even better if you shoot him."

He smirked. "I have better ideas."

(\\_/)

Two weeks had passed and, so far, everything was going smoothly. I hadn't heard from Morelli, but I had plenty of calls from my grandma wanting to be taken to viewings and bingo. I didn't mind it though. It gave me a good excuse to use one of the company cars.

I had finished doing a bunch of searches (not on Google) for a few suspects which made me love my new job even more.

The " _search engine"_ Tanked showed me how to use was incredible. I had learnt so much about some strangers that I hadn't even met face to face; where they grew up, where they went to school, what shots they got, what they spent their extra cash on, and if they had a mid-life crisis or not.

 _Think of the dirt I could get on the people I didn't like…_

I put in my own name just for the hell of it, but found out that all my details were _secured._

Wow. Manoso was always one step ahead of everything.

I printed off my results, stapled them together and placed them in a file before getting up, bracing myself for the part I'd much rather avoid.

I approached the door of Carlos' office, knocked once and waited.

No answer.

I knocked again.

No answer.

"Hey Steph," I turned around to find Tank with a bunch of blueprints tucked under his arm. "Ranger's in a meeting with a client."

I blinked at him. " _The same client_ who came in two and a half hours ago?"

"Yep, another one of our regulars." His eyes landed on the file in my hand. "After this, he's going to be done for the day, so why don't you just leave that for him in his apartment on 7?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Will that be okay… _with him?_ "

"Course it will." He nodded, taking out a small electronic key from his pocket. "Just leave it on the coffee table or kitchen counter. I'll let him know that you're done with the list."

I smiled only out of politeness as he handed it to me. "Okay, thanks."

 _I couldn't just slide it under his door?_

(\\_/)

I got out of the elevator and found Carlos' apartment door.

I used the key Tank gave me, unlocked the door and went inside to find myself standing in a spacious foyer. I flicked a switch and the lights illuminated the living room.

My heart missed a beat.

The room was decorated with a black and white colour scheme including a modern and antique mixture of leather and wood.

Trying not to be distracted by the 60-inch plasma screen TV and plush black leather sofas, I went up to the glass coffee table and dropped the file on top of it.

I was about to exit the apartment when some silver framed photographs, sitting on top of a dark wooded credenza, caught my eye.

Feeling curious, I stood in front of the credenza to get a closer look.

The first photo was of a young Hispanic man, approximately in his early twenties, holding a yellow bundle. After studying the facial features and hairstyle, I soon realised it was Carlos. It took me a while to recognise him as he wasn't wearing his poker face or his hard stare. His eyes were soft. His lips were upturned into an adoring smile at the baby wrapped in the blankets.

The second picture was of Carlos sitting with a baby girl on his lap who looked about six months old, wearing a bright yellow sundress and a matching frilly bonnet, holding a fluffy pink rabbit in her tiny hands. Carlos' face was lit up by a 2000-watt grin as the little baby girl looked up at him with intelligent brown eyes.

The final photograph was of a little girl about five or six wearing a red gingham dress and brown sandals. I assumed she was the baby in the other photos, but this time it was like looking at a miniature girl version of Carlos. She had flawless mocha-latte skin, long black hair tied up in bunches and an infectious smile.

 _She must be a relative…A daughter possibly?_

Carlos didn't wear a wedding ring. He had to be about my age and he looked early twenties in the pictures; that meant the little girl had to be around ten years old now.

The back of my neck started to tingle again.

As I turned around to leave, I let out a shriek when I found Carlos standing only a foot and a half away from me, his arms folded and eyes glaring.

" _You have got to wear a bell around your neck or something!"_ I breathed with my hand against my chest.

"What are you doing prying around my apartment!" He demanded.

I frowned at him. "I wasn't _prying around_. Tank gave me his key so I could-"

"I know _that_." He interrupted, rolling his eyes. "How long does it take _you_ to leave a bunch of papers without invading my personal life?"

"There's no need to be rude about it. And how is looking at a few photographs _invading your personal life?_ "

He ignored me. "I expect you to know that if you must enter my apartment, you leave whatever you came in with and get out without delay!"

"I didn't do anything wrong!" I snapped. "You're acting as though I went through your draws or cupboards. Besides, I would have left by now if you weren't being so infantile and getting worked up about nothing."

His eyes narrowed. "Would you expect the same from me if _I_ entered your home?"

"Without considering the fact that _you_ _own_ the building?" I pointed out, crossing my arms. "But, I d-"

"This is your second warning, Plum. If you're not careful, you'll be looking for a new place to live as well as a new job."

My breathing hitched. His words were like poisoned darts stabbing into my heart. I blinked rapidly to stop the tears that started to prickle behind my eyes.

" _You're impossible."_ I spat, storming around him before slamming the door behind me as I approached the elevator.

(\\_/)

Hal was sitting at the front desk when I banged the door against the wall of the reception.

"Stephanie?" He asked. "You okay?"

"I'm going for a walk." I said, making my way towards the main entrance.

"At this hour? It's almost nine thirty."

I looked at him over my shoulder. "I just need some time alone. If anyone needs to know, I'll be heading in the direction towards the Chambersburg."

Without waiting for an answer, I pushed the door open and marched off.

Since it was a warm late summer's evening, I didn't bother to stop by my apartment for a jacket and I didn't care a great deal about being out in my work shirt and black light dress pants since it wasn't chilly enough.

Even if it was, I wouldn't have noticed since I was still fuming from the second jackass in my life.

 _Who does that bastard think he is? All I did was look at some photographs. If he didn't want them looked at, he should keep them in an album._

I kicked an empty beer can.

 _He can't afford to lose me. Nobody wanted or had the stamina to go through a hundred files looking for some crap about a lowlife. It's no wonder the documents kept stocking up._

I kicked it again.

 _He must be sweet on Ella if she thinks he's not as bad as he makes out. Not that anyone with a heart and a conscience could be mean to_ _ **her.**_

I considered taking a route I knew well from picking up my grandma several times in the last fourteen days as the smartest option since I didn't know this part of Jersey all that well.

After noticing that I was approaching a small pizza place that I drove past every time on my way to The Burg, I realised I was at least a mile away from the Rangeman building.

I was about to check the time on my phone when I remembered that I had left it on my desk. The sky was getting darker, which gave me the hint that I should be getting back.

But, as I was about to turn and retrace my steps, a hand covered my mouth and an arm circled around my waist, pulling me into a shadowed, narrow passage.

" _Well, what do we have here?"_


	4. Chapter 4

I let out a muffled cry as I was slammed against the wall, my head bouncing off the bricks.

Blinking away the tears, my eyes adjusted until two men both in their early forties, grinned at me like I was something to eat.

The guy holding me was badly in need of a shower. His skin was sickly and was the colour of paper mache stained with bloody scars around his jawline, his eyes were bloodshot, and his teeth were yellow while his breath stunk like something had died in his mouth.

"Look at what I caught for us, J.J." He laughed, eyeing me up and down. "Nicely dressed, too."

 _J.J._ looked no better. He had several missing teeth and was covered in tattoos.

He laughed with him. "It's gonna be a good night, Trey. I'll flip you for the first turn."

 _Trey_ spat at him. "Like fuck you will! I'm the one who nabbed her, I get first shot!"

" _No need to have a hissy fit, Tinkerbell._ Just don't take forever."

 _This couldn't be happening…I was a mile away from a freaking security building that took down bastards like these guys! I_ _ **helped**_ _to take down these sons of bitches!_

My eyes darted all over the place, looking for a suitable weapon. But there was _nothing_. Not even a trash can. Just a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire lurking in the shadows a few feet away, limiting me to only one escape route.

I couldn't help it.

I panicked.

I fought against Trey's grip, only to have him dig his fingers into my upper-arm and shoved his hand harder against my mouth.

"Keep still, bitch!" He growled. "You don't have to be breathing to give us a good time!"

Without thinking, I sent a hard kick to his shin. He cried out a string of colourful curses before backhanding me across the face, knocking me to the ground.

Something warm and sticky slithered down my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut, not letting the tears show.

"J.J. get a hold of her!"

A hand grabbed my hair and yanked me to my feet, making me whimper. I opened one eye to see J.J snarling at me with a fist ready. " _You've killed the mood now, bitch."_

Trey scowled, his teeth bared and his fingers twitching. " _It's gonna take a while until we're satisfied with you_."

A shiver of revulsion went through me. " _Don't do this…_ " I rasped, gathering all the strength I had to keep myself from breaking down.

They both let out a burst of vile cackling.

J. J's grip on my hair tightened. "We could've had us a good… _mirage on tar_. But you had to ruin it and make us mad."

"Looks like we're gonna have to do this one at a time." Trey sniggered, digging through his pocket to take out a swiss army knife. "Keep her still, J.J."

He flicked it open to reveal a sharp blade that glinted in the pathetic light.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to do anything that would alert anyone, but a large lump was lodged in my throat. I could barely manage a squeak.

I squeezed my eyes shut again, waiting for the worst to happen.

" _Let. Her. Go."_

 _Wait…I know that voice…_

I quickly looked up to see Carlos standing at the end of the alleyway, his arms folded and his face hard.

J. J's grip on my hair loosened slightly when he and Trey both laid eyes on the 6-foot ripped Latino glaring at them.

Trey let out a slow haughty laugh. "If you want a turn, pal, you're gonna have to wait." He turned to face me again. "We got here first."

" _I'm not going to tell you again_." Carlos growled, dropping his arms to his sides. " _Let. Her. Go._ "

Trey flipped him the bird without looking at him. "Go get your own whore, fucker!"

Before any of us could blink, Carlos snatched him by the scruff of his neck, lifting him off his feet one-handed. He rammed him against the wall, letting him go so he crumpled to the floor with a bloodied face.

His focus locked on J.J who had let go of my hair and started to back away. Carlos caught him easily in two strides, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

I moved until my back hit the fence, watching as he raised him several inches off the ground so they were almost face to face. J.J had gone very pale.

"I wasn't fucking kidding when I said _let her go_." Carlos seethed, slamming J.J against the wall before releasing him so he fell on his ass.

"O-o-k-k-kay man, we're sorry!" J.J stuttered, scrambling to his feet. "J-j-just let us go! We don't want any more trouble!"

But his words had no effect.

"I hate fuckers _like you."_ Carlos said, fists clenched at his side. "Did you think you'd get away with _it?_ Did you think you could carry out your sick plan?"

Without waiting for an answer, he sent a fist into his stomach. J.J doubled over, before another fist collided with his jaw.

A glint of light caught my eye. I turned my head in time to see Trey back on his feet, knife in hand held high above his head.

"Ranger behind you!" I yelled.

Carlos spun around and grabbed Trey's wrist, seconds before he could take a swipe at him.

Even in the meagre light, I could see the vice like grip on Trey's wrist as well as the grimace of pain that morphed his face.

" _Drop it,"_ Carlos snarled. _"or lose the arm."_

An audible _gulp_ came from his throat, soon followed by a _clink_ of his knife hitting the ground.

 _Then a smashing of glass…_

Through my peripheral vision, I caught J.J clutching a broken bottleneck with sharp pointed edges. But before I could let out a scream of warning, he pounced at Carlos, piercing the glass into the bare skin of his upper arm.

Carlos roared in agony, causing him to let go of Trey, who sprinted off with J.J close behind him. He clapped his hand over the wound.

I rushed over to him. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

Carefully taking his arm, I walked us out of the alleyway. Once we were under the better lighting of the streetlamps, I tried not to cringe at the amount of blood oozing out of the gash. "We've got to get you to Bobby."

He glowered at me. " _You think?_ "

I frowned at him. "You can bitch at me all you want later, now let's go!"

We didn't say another word until we reached the main door of the building.

Hal was still at the front desk. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he noticed the blood dripping down Carlos' arm.

"Jesus!" He breathed. "What the hell happened?"

"That's not important right now, Hal." I said before Carlos could reply with a snarky answer. "Can you get Bobby for us?"

"You just missed him. He left about 5 minutes ago."

" _Fuck…"_ Carlos mumbled. " _Just fucking perfect…_ "

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I pulled him towards the second door. "Quit whining, I know first aid."

"I don't remember seeing _that_ on your résumé."

(\\_/)

We both exited the elevator on to the second floor. I opened the door to the infirmary and flicked the lights on.

Carlos leaned against the examining table. I could feel his eyes watching me as I reached up for the first aid kit.

Avoiding eye contact, I set the box down, opened it and pulled out some sterilising wipes. In total silence, I cleaned the wound and the blood off his arm before applying some antiseptic cream.

"Go on," I said, when I was tired of feeling the angry tension radiating off him. "You can start bitching now."

Carlos sighed through his nose. "If you hadn't of stormed off, _this_ wouldn't have happened!"

I scowled at him. "I wouldn't have _stormed off_ if you hadn't _pissed me_ _off!_ "

He looked at me as though I had just insulted his mother. " _You_ shouldn't have been loitering around in my apartment!"

" _You_ shouldn't have threatened to throw me out on the streets!"

We held an angry scare for a beat before he turned his glare towards the floor. " _You should learn common courtesy."_

I placed a dressing on top of the gash then picked up a roll of adhesive tape.

" _You should learn to control your temper."_

I could sense he was trying to think of a smart-ass retort, but after couple of heartbeats he kept his mouth shut as I unrolled the length of tape I needed.

"Anyway," I said tenderly, securing the dressing and smoothing down the tape with my fingers. "thank you, for saving me."

Carlos raised his head slowly, his face softening as he took out a sterilising wipe and gently ran it over my cheek. "You're welcome."

(\\_/)

2 weeks had gone by and by then half the building was now using Microsoft speak. The only downside to my otherwise brilliant idea, was that more of the guys had extra time to kill and spent it in the break room, meaning I had to race for a seat if I didn't want to stand to drink my coffee.

The guys were great though. They were like the big brothers I never had.

Lester, the gossip queen, had told everyone about Morelli the asshole, and I had a mile long-list of names who said they had my back.

I had just finished my latest list of searches when the back of my neck tingled. I turned around in my chair and found Carlos standing behind me.

I took my headphones out. "…Hey."

"Hi." He said, in a soft tone. "Are you finished?"

"Yeah, did you come for the-"

"No, I actually came to ask you how familiar you are with a gun."

I blinked at him. "A gun?"

"Yes."

I bit my lower lip and looked away from him. "I'm probably the last person who should be allowed to carry a gun."

"What happened the other week, and the information I obtained about you, would say otherwise."

I looked back up at him. "You got information about me?"

"Only the important pieces- including everyone who works here. To make sure they're not crazy."

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

The corners of his lips twitched. "Come with me. You need a lesson in self-defence."

"Don't I need a permit first?"

"You'll be supervised, and you let me deal with the permit." He said, handing me a pistol. "This is a Glock 19 9mm compact- standard and versatile. Ideal for concealing, and it'll fit in your purse."

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"Ella has one."

I had to grin at that. "Remind me not to piss _her_ off."

He had taken me to the gun range, where a bunch of fresh targets had been set up. We had the room to ourselves.

Carlos moved closer behind me, lifted both my hands in his until the Glock was level with the closest target.

He let go. "Get used to the feeling and weight of the gun. Get familiar with the position."

I was given a minute to adjust. I moved the gun up and down a few times until I gotten used to holding it right.

"Okay, what next?"

"Aim and shoot."

 _Bang!_

"Good. Now try and hit the inside of the outline."

 _Bang!_

"…Nice. Now aim _above_ the waist."

 _Bang!_

"Good. You hit the head."

"I was imagining it was my ex."

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"This feels good. No wonder people do it."

I felt him watching me.

 _Bang! Bang!_

"Is that the Morelli guy I've been hearing about?" He asked.

I looked at him. "No, he's just an annoying son-of-a-bitch who thinks he can sweet talk me."

 _Bang!_

"Santos explained everything." Carlos said, taking the gun to replace the bullets. "And _he's_ a cop?"

I nodded. "Yep. But it doesn't mean he's changed."

He nodded slowly as he gave handed me back the gun.

I took aim.

 _Bang!_

"I was thinking about my ex-husband." I glanced at him. "I suppose you already know about him."

For the first time I had known him, he smiled a dazzling 2000-watt grin. "I had to make sure you weren't crazy."


	5. Chapter 5

'So, you can _really_ shoot a gun now?' Grandma asked for the umpteenth time.

I was driving her back from bingo and it took all I had not to whack my head against the steering wheel.

'Yes,' I nodded, trying not to sound irritated. 'Carlos is a good teacher.'

' _Is he a hottie?_ '

I glanced at her. 'Is that the only thing you can think about?'

'Most of the men in my life are either half dead or half dust. Now cut me some slack and tell me all about him!'

Supressing an eye roll, I said. 'He's Cuban-American. He's tall and muscular. He has really nice brown eyes… _and a really nice smile…_ '

'It's settled then,' Grandma said with a grin. 'He's going to be my new grandson-in-law.'

'I wouldn't count on it.' I muttered, pulling into my parents' drive way.

Grandma looked at me once she got out the car. 'A grandmother can still dream.'

(\\_/)

'Stephanie,'

I was heading towards the elevator from the company garage when I head Carlos's voice. I turned around and saw him standing by a nice looking black Porsche 911 Turbo that was parked a couple of cars away from the cayenne I borrowed.

 _It was good to know that the man didn't have to compensate for something._

Not knowing what else to do, I offered him a finger wave. 'Hey,'

A hint of a smile played across his lips as he walked over to me. I noticed he was wearing a black leather jacket with dark jeans while a diamond stud earring gleamed in his ear.

'Is there something I need to-'

He shook his head. 'No, I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner this Friday.'

I stared at him. 'Dinner? As in… go out and eat _dinner?_ '

A grin lit up his face. 'Yes. I know a nice restaurant near Saddle River.'

I made a coy smile and raised an eyebrow at him. 'Are you asking me out on a date, _Boss_?'

A low chuckle escaped his lips. 'Yes, I am, Plum. So, what do you say?'

Warmness expanded in my chest and burned my cheeks.

 _My Boss was asking me out on a date and, as cliched as it sounded, I wasn't even sleeping with him!_

'I'd love to.' I grinned. 'What should I wear?'

'It's a cocktail dress code.' He said, walking back to his car. 'I'll pick you up at 6.'

I watched him climb into the driver's side, roar the engine to life before exiting the garage.

 _I had a date…_

For the first time in years, I had a date!

 _With my boss…_

… _my incredibly_ _ **hot**_ _boss…_

The corners of my mouth were pulled up so tight in a stupid smile that my cheeks started to hurt.

 _If all the bitches from high school could see me now…_

(\\_/)

I found Ella placing a clean bowl of hamster food in Rex's aquarium when I walked into my apartment.

'Hello dear,' She smiled, 'Did your grandma do well at the bingo?'

'In a way, yeah. She won her card money back.' I said, tapping a finger on the glass to let Rex know I was home.

Ella looked at me with an impish smirk. 'You wouldn't happen to have met Carlos in the garage by any chance, did you?'

I blinked at her. 'Yeah, I did.'

The smirk morphed into a grin. 'Did he _ask_ you anything?'

I felt my face burn. With my eyes fixed on Rex's aquarium, I nodded and said, 'He…asked me out to dinner this Friday.'

'YES!' Ella cried, fist-pumping with both arms. 'I knew it! I knew it! All the boys in the building said I was _loca!_ But I am never wrong about these things! _Never!_ '

'Never wrong about _what_?' I asked, my mouth still hanging open at her outburst.

She chuckled lightly before placing her hands on either side of my face. 'Stephanie, I've known Carlos from the day he finished renovating this building. I've seen him make grown men cry and make people scared of their own shadows. _But you…_ I knew you were special the moment I laid eyes on you. _I knew you were thee_ _ **one**_!'

Letting go of me, she headed towards the door while laughing something about _going to make the boys pay up._

 _What did she mean_ _ **the one**_ _?_

(\\_/)

Once I finished work the following Wednesday, I got the keys to a 2012 Toyota Camry and drove the longest way possible to Macy's.

Driving the Toyota was smooth and peaceful. It helped clear my head and get a grip on things.

Since Carlos was taking me to a nice restaurant that required a cocktail dress code, I wanted to feel that I was the kind of person who was used to luxuries. I was already driving the car and, even when 20% of my salary was extracted for rent, I had the cash.

I parked the Toyota near the entrance and headed inside before realising that I didn't have a clue what I was looking for.

 _Something to wear,_ I knew that much, but _what_ to wear?

 _A cocktail dress?_

 _Dress slacks?_

 _Heels?_

 _Flats?_

I stood in the middle of the aisle, absentmindedly staring at all the colourful and luxurious formal wear.

For a moment, I thought back to my old life when I was newly divorced and trying to make ends meet at E.E. Martins. I never would have thought I'd be able to afford anything so lovely.

' _Hey cupcake,_ '

My happy mood dissolved within seconds.

I turned to glare at the voice I was sure I would never hear again.

Morelli stood a couple of feet away from me with his arms folded and a smirk that I would have loved to skin off his stupid face. He was wearing his police uniform.

'Shouldn't you be working?' I spat while turning my back on him, while focusing my attention on a peacock blue mini dress.

'I'm off duty,' He said, leaning against the rail so he was back in my line of sight. 'And I've been trying to reach you, but the bone heads at your place won't even let me speak to you.'

'That's because they're doing their job,' I retorted.

'Come on, Cupcake.' He sighed dramatically. 'What's wrong with me just wanting us to get together?'

'Well for starters, you are showing all the qualities of a stalker.'

His eyes narrowed. ' _Stalker?_ '

'Bumping into you in the woman's department is no coincidence, Morelli. You won't leave me alone, you're a total narcissist, you're selfish, obsessive, manipulative, temperamental, and above all, you lack the understanding of the word _no._ '

' _Watch your mouth, Stephanie…_ '

'And now you're threatening me! Besides, Morelli, it wouldn't work out because I have a date this Friday.'

He stared at me blankly. ' _A date?_ '

I nodded while smiling smugly. 'Uh-huh, with my boss. Like you, I thought he was a giant pain in the ass at first, but _unlike_ you, he's actually a really sweet and considerate guy.'

' _Carlos Manoso.'_ Morelli sneered as though he had said a disgusting curse word. 'I've heard of him. He's the Latino guy who runs _rent a thug_. Good God, Stephanie! Don't you know it's never a good idea to _go out_ with your employer? You must know what he's really _after_.'

'I didn't ask for your opinion or your approval, Morelli.' I spat. 'He's taking me out to dinner in Saddle River, which is more than what you've done for me after you got what _you_ wanted.'

He made a disgusted grunt. 'When this _date_ is a total disaster, do you think he's still going to let you keep your job?'

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. 'I've been working for him for 3 months now and I've already proved to him, as well as all of my new friends and work colleagues, that I'm a valuable employee that he cannot afford to lose. My job has _nothing_ to do with him asking me out.'

'Yeah, I've heard that before.'

It was a wonder I could keep myself from tearing his head off.

'Look, Morelli, all of my work colleagues know what you're like and all of them _will_ kick your ass if you don't stop bothering me. Do yourself a favour and piss off!'

The vein in his forehead throbbed a dark purple. His eyes were black slits. ' _This is not over, Stephanie.'_ He murmured calmly.

And he walked away.

(\\_/)

Friday had come by quickly.

I got up earlier so I could finish my shift sooner and have more time to get ready for tonight.

6pm was fast approaching and butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I checked myself in the mirror for what was probably the 100th time.

I was wearing a crimson Bardot midi dress with fold-over sleeves, a fitted bodice, and a full swing skirt completed with black stilettos.

My hair was styled up into a twisted crown braid so no strands fell in my face and showed my ears which adorned small round gold stud earrings, matching the pendant that hung around my neck on a golden chain.

My makeup was simple; red lipstick with black mascara and eyeliner.

 _I looked great._

I heard a knock at the front door which increased my heart rate by a couple of beats. Grabbing my purse, I hurried out of my bedroom and answered it to find Carlos standing in the hallway in a black suit, tie, and dress shirt with his hair tied back in a perfect low pony tail.

He eyed me up and down with a gentle smile before handing me a single red rose. 'You look beautiful.'

The butterflies swelled inside of me, my mouth went dry and I was almost certain I had turned a brighter shade than my dress.

'Thank you,' I smiled taking the flower. 'You look very nice, too. I'll just put this in some water.'

I walked around to the kitchen, placed my purse down, took out a small glass vase and filled it half way.

'Is this the famous Rex I've been hearing about?'

I turned around and grinned when I saw him leaning against the counter Rex's aquarium sat on, looking inside as I placed the rose in the vase.

Rex was on his wheel. He stopped, looked up at him for a second before continuing his workout.

'Yeah,' I nodded. 'I've noticed he's been a lot happier since we moved here.'

 _Just like me…_

(\\_/)

Carlos had called a taxi for us.

As the driver pulled into a driveway, I looked out the window to see a 2-story building illuminated with warm white lights. I could see diners sitting inside at tables covered in sapphire blue tablecloths while a gigantic chandelier hung high from above through 2 large windows that took up the entire front wall of the first floor and stood either side of the double doors to the main entrance where its name was written above in scarlet cursive: _The Nova._

Once the taxi stopped near the main entrance, Carlos got out first before helping me out by holding out his hand. While he paid the driver, I took the time to take everything in as I stared starry eyed at the building.

I was wearing a great outfit that I afforded all on my own and I was on a date with an incredible man at a swanky restaurant.

I felt Carlos's eyes on me as the taxi drove away. 'Do you like what you see?'

'This is incredible,' I nodded before looking up at him. 'I've never been to a place like this before.'

Smiling, he held out his arm. 'It's even better inside.'

An eager grin grew on my face. I linked my arm with his and we walked in.

Once we were inside, Carlos gave his name to the host and we were escorted through an archway that led to a high room that was decorated with a grey marble floor and black painted walls with white wainscoting. The tables were positioned so they left a large space shaped in a circle where a few couples slow danced with each other.

Our table was located close to a window that took up an entire wall, giving us a perfect view of the twilight sky.

After thanking the host, Carlos pulled my chair out for me before sitting down himself.

'Do you come here often?' I asked, placing my purse down and picking up the menu.

'Only when I'm meeting with clients; we always sit in the front room. This part is reserved for couples. Are you a wine drinker?'

I looked up at him over the menu with a small shrug. 'Sometimes. Mostly on special occasions.'

A waiter approached us and took our orders. I chose pasta primavera and Carlos selected grilled salmon. He requested a red wine with a name I had never heard of before for both of us.

'I noticed that you drive a lot to the Chambersburg.' He said. 'Isn't that where you grew up?'

I nodded. 'Yeah, I go to drive my grandmother to viewings and bingo. She's been wanting to come over and see my new apartment.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Haven't you already?'

'No, and for good reason.' I sighed. 'What she really wants to see is, and I quote: _all your hot colleagues.'_

A 2000-watt grin lit up his face. 'She sounds fun. All my grandmother does is cook all day and speaks Spanish.'

I cocked my head to the side out of interest. 'You must know a lot about me already since you know that I'm not crazy. Tell me about yourself.'

An amused gleam lit up his eyes. 'Like what?'

'Everything.'

'Ok, I was born and raised in Newark. I have a brother, 4 sisters, 9 nephews and 7 nieces… _and a daughter._ '

The cogs in my brain started to turn. 'Is she the-'

'Little girl in the photo frames, yes.' He nodded. 'Her name's Julie and she just turned 10 back in April.'

'She's the spitting image of you.'

'I get that a lot.' He smiled sadly. 'She's also the reason why I straightened myself out.'

I blinked at him. 'Really?'

'Yes. Growing up I wasn't exactly the perfect child; I got into trouble a lot both at school and on the streets. I hung out with a group of teenagers who liked breaking and entering and grand theft auto which got me arrested at 14. After that, I was sent to a youth detention centre in Miami where they managed to get me on the right path and helped me get the grades I needed to get into Rutgers.'

'Is that where you met Julie's mother?' I asked.

He shook his head. 'I went for 2 years before dropping out to join the army. Before I turned 20, I was on leave and I decided to go to Florida which is where I met Rachel, Julie's mother. We had only dated for a few weeks when she told me that she was pregnant. We married not long after, mainly not to disappoint our families, but it wasn't until after Julie was born when we divorced.'

I couldn't help but stare at him. 'Do you still see her?'

'Yes,' Carlos said with a smile. 'I still have a good relationship with Rachel and her new husband. They invite me over a couple of times every few months or so to visit and for special occasions; the last time I went was for Julie's birthday.'

He took his phone out of his pocket, tapped the screen and handed it to me. A girl, who was unmistakably the same kid I had seen in the photographs, beamed at the camera with the same infectious smile as she clutched a large stuffed unicorn. She wore a sleeveless purple dress with a black ribbon around the middle, her hair hung loose and went down to her waist.

'Did you get her the unicorn?' I asked, handing him his phone back.

'My parents did. I've given her a hundred dollars every year since she was 8.' He looked lovingly at the photo before turning his phone off. 'A day doesn't go by when I don't look back on the day she was born. The first time I held her, I promised her that I would never let her down, no matter what.'

A sudden wave of affection warmed my heart and swelled in my chest. I saw Carlos in a new light; as a different person other than my boss.

I remembered when he saved me in the alleyway and then taught me how to shoot in self-defence. I thought about how he asked me out to dinner and gave me the rose once he arrived at my door.

Oh my god… _I think I just fell in love with him._

(\\_/)

We made casual small talk as we ate.

The food was delicious and the wine tasted fantastic.

Once we had cleaned our plates and finished the bottle, I sat back in my seat and watched the couples dancing in the middle of the room for a moment before turning back to Carlos who was watching me intently.

'Would you like to dance?' He asked with a warm smile.

I blinked again. My cheeks burned, but I smiled back and answered with a shy nod. As we rose from our seats, he took my hand and accompanied me to the centre.

With our hands clasped together, Carlos encircled a strong arm around my waist as I rested my free hand against his shoulder. _All of me_ by John Legend started to play and we slowly started to sway to the music while circling on the spot.

My whole face flush when I realised I was close enough to smell his cologne that sensed of a refreshingly light, citrusy and clean fragrance that made my heart thud harder against my ribcage along with how strong and firm his toned muscles felt under my fingertips and pressed against my body.

Our eyes never broke contact; even when he spun me around in a graceful turn, they instantly locked again, leaving me unmindful to everyone and everything in the room.

As the song came to an end, I became aware of how close our faces became. Before I knew it, my eyes fluttered shut as our lips met in a soft and feather light kiss.

For a moment, I forgot about everything as thrills ran up my spine. His arm around my waist pulled me tighter to him.

When we parted for breath, my lips tingled. I opened my eyes to meet his dark orbs, noticing they had softened; fixed upon me. My cheeks glowed crimson as I smiled bashfully, adverting my gaze to the floor.

(\\_/)

After Carlos payed the bill we both walked out the restaurant. Neither of us wanted this date to end.

It was a warm, beautiful summer night and we both agreed on walking back to Rangeman.

We casually chatted as we strolled arm in arm. When we were half way to Haywood, I shivered slightly from the cool night air.

Carlos unhooked our arms, took off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders.

"Thanks," I blushed as he took my hand.

He smiled down at me. "Don't mention it."

A black leather holster hung around his hips, containing a Beretta 70 pistol. "Are you ever _not_ armed to the teeth?" I grinned, teasing him with a flirty batter of my eyelashes.

"No," He grinned. "With my job, you can never be too careful. I'm hoping it'll rub off onto you."

"Oh, it has!" I giggled, taking my Glock 19 9mm compact out of my purse. "I learn from the best."

He gave my hand a squeeze as laughter escaped his lips. "You're an excellent student, Plum."

(\\_/)

We were 100 yards away from the building when my feet froze suddenly.

Carlos looked at me. "What's wrong?"

I bit my lip. "The others will be inside."

"And?"

"You're my boss and…well…It's kind of awkward."

To my surprise, he chuckled lightly.

"What's so funny?"

"Haven't you heard?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Heard what?"

"Everyone has been placing bets on whether you'd agree to go out with me."

I gaped at him. " _Bets?"_

He nodded with a small grin. "Ella and Santos won $650 between them and Ella has been doing backflips ever since."

"$650," I nodded thoughtfully. "That's generous."

His grin widened as he slid an arm around my shoulders, hugging me into him.

" _High hopes of fucking her tonight, eh Manoso_?"

I felt my entire body freeze while Carlos's face went hard, his hand instantly landing on his gun.

We both turned to find Morelli standing in the middle of the pavement, holding a Sig Sauer P226 in both hands. His eyes were stone cold, full of hatred directed at Carlos.

My blood boiled as my fingers tightened into hard fists. "Why the hell are you here, Morelli?!"

 _Stupid question, Stephanie,_ _ **very**_ _stupid question…_

He turned to me with a look of disgust. "I knew you'd fall victim to _him…_ I knew you would fall for _his_ tricks and charms he uses to get women out of their thongs… _I SAW YOU TWO SMOOCHING!"_ He bellowed out that last sentence.

But it didn't affect me. I was too focused on the fact that he _knew_ where Carlos and I had our date.

I had only gloated to him we were going to Saddle River, but he had actually gone over and found the restaurant we were at.

"You're not a stalker..." I whispered stepping forward so I stood in between him and Carlos. " _You're out of your freaking mind!"_

The vein in Morelli's head throbbed. I heard his fingers tighten around the Sauer as his eyes fixed upon me.

I felt Carlos's hand on my shoulder.

"Officer Morelli," He said, in a stern but respectable tone. "I don't know where you get your information from, but Stephanie has made it clear ever since she started working here that-"

" _Working?!"_ Morelli blurted out a laugh. "Is that what you call it?! I know everything about you, Manoso! I've got a computer full of dirt about you and your _rent-a-thug!_ "

I shook my head slowly as my eyes turned to slits. "No, you don't, Morelli. And for what it's worth, it's a _security company_ which I could not be happier to work at."

He scoffed. "It's funny how I heard a different story from the Chambersburg; about how you weren't so keen being around _him_."

With Carlos's hand still on my shoulder, I placed my own on top if it as I took in a deep breath.

"At first, I did think Carlos was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. Although, even before tonight, I realised that there was something sweet, and kind…I still wonder why I didn't see it there before." I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled. "There's something in him that I simply didn't see."

His eyes were warm and tender as he returned the smile, making my heart swell.

A disgusted groan broke our contact. The whole of Morelli's face had turned a nasty purple.

"He. Is. Your. Fucking. Boss!" He hissed through clenched teeth. "Don't tell me you've fallen for this _thug!_ "

Something within me snapped.

I pushed Carlos's hand off of my shoulder and stormed forward.

"'He's not a thug, Morelli, you are!"

His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated.

I felt a pair of hands grab my waist before the _bang!_ of the Sig echoed in the streets and attacked my ears.

But after that, everything else was a blur.

I became aware of the cool concrete I found myself sprawled against and the slight chill of the evening air on my bare shoulders.

I pushed myself up and a shriek ripped from my throat.

"NO!"

Carlos lay flat on his back. His teeth clenched and his chest heaving as a pool of dark liquid slowly formed under him.

Morelli stood over him, a cocky and superior smirk plastered on his face. He glanced at me briefly before kneeling down on one knee.

"Did you and your band of hitmen really think you could keep her away from me? Did you really think that you could take away what is _mine?"_

He sniggered haughtily before standing back up and pointed the Sig back at Carlos.

"It's over, Manoso. _Stephanie is mine!"_

My gazed lowered onto Carlos's holster and my eyes found the handle of the Beretta 70 pistol.

A new rage erupted within me and without thinking, I snatched the gun.

Morelli looked back at me. "What the hell-" He began.

But I didn't allow him to finish.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Morelli's face paled. The gun fell to the ground with a metallic clatter as his hands cradled his crotch. An anguished scream tore from his throat as he collapsed on to his knees, blood seeping through his fingers.

I tossed the pistol aside and scurried over next to Carlos whose face was beaded with sweat.

" _Oh my god…_ Ranger!" I cried, shaking my head helplessly as I stared at the bullet wound above his hip.

I found his suit jacket lying behind me. I grabbed it, bundled it into a ball and pressed it against him to try to stop the bleeding.

He looked up at me with a pained grin.

"Nice shooting, Babe." He laughed weakly, lifting a hand up to caress my cheek.

The tears finally fell.

A sob escaped my throat as I held his palm in place. " _This is all my fault_ … _I should've known better than to sass him like that. Especially when he was armed with a freaking gun!"_

"No…" Carlos breathed. "No, it's not…not your fault. I'm proud of you…"

His eyes clenched shut as he groaned in pain whilst sucking the air through his teeth.

"I knew you would be invaluable to the company… _and to me_ …"

My chest ached at his words. I swallowed back another sob as I watched him grimace in agony before closing his eyes. His arm went limp.

I felt all the breath leave my lungs.

"No…No! Ranger, please…no… Don't leave me…please…" I cried, cupping his face with both my hands. "…I love you."

The sound of hurrying footsteps caught my attention.

Hal, Lester, Bobby and Tank came rushing towards us.

Lester's face darkened when he found Morelli still holding his balls and cursing on the ground.

" _I knew it would be you!"_ He spat as Tank yanked him up by his collar. "I bet all your pals at the TPD would love to see my dash cam footage."

"You three stay with Steph and Ranger," Tank said before throwing a look of disgust at Morelli. " _I'll deal with him_ …"

Lester knelt down beside me. "Don't worry, Beautiful. Hal's already called for an ambulance and we saw the whole thing." He pointed to a sleek, black security camera attached to the corner of the Rangeman building which was pointed in our direction.

I tried to smile, but the tears and sheer exhaustion overwhelmed me as the adrenaline wore off.

I felt Lester gently pull me away; he held me to him as Hal and Bobby took my place next to Ranger.

I wanted to protest, but all of my energy had drained away.

Everything faded to black.

(\\_/)

I immediately recognised the ceiling of my apartment as my eyes slowly drifted open.

I found myself lying on my couch, covered with my duvet. I wasn't wearing my red dress; in its place was an oversized jersey and a pair of pyjama shorts.

I sat up and found Lester sitting in the armchair by my feet with his phone in hand. His face lit up when he saw that I was awake.

"Hey Beautiful," He smiled. "How are you feeling? You gave us all a scare when you passed out."

"I'm fine." I sighed, feeling the tears already pricking behind my eyes as I remembered what had happened last night. "Have you been awake the entire night?"

He shook his head. "No, I got a couple of hours once I was sure you were sleeping peacefully. You barely stirred throughout the night."

Lester reached over to hold my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Ranger regained consciousness early this morning. Bobby went with him to the hospital in the back of the ambulance so he could keep us informed. Boss is in a stable condition and he said he wants to see you ASAP. The bullet didn't hit anything vital, but he would have gone into shock if you hadn't of controlled the bleeding."

He got up to sit beside me and place an arm around my shoulders when I started to shudder; the relief overcoming me.

" _What about Morelli?_ " I whispered, the words sticking in my throat.

I heard him take in a deep breath.

"He's in police custardy." He said coldly. "The son-of-a-bitch won't be bothering you ever again, Beautiful. Hal and I gave the PD the security and dashcam footage. I'm so glad I kept it!"

"Me too," I smiled. "By the way, where's my dress?"

He jumped off the sofa as though I had stung him. His cheeks turned bright red as he held his hands up in defence.

"Before you assume anything, Plum, I only picked out your PJs and I asked Ella to put them on you. Ask her if you don't believe me!"

"It's okay, Lester," I laughed. "it wouldn't have bothered me."

"Okay…Good to know." He nodded. "Also, Ella's having your dressed cleaned. You look hot in it by the way."

"Thanks."

(\\_/)

"Go on in." Said Bobby, patting my shoulder. "He wants to see you."

I gave a weak smile before wrapping my fingers around the handle and opened the door.

As I walked in to the cubicle, I found Ranger sitting up in bed, tapping at his phone which he tossed a side when his eyes landed on me. He was bare from the waist up, revealing his sculptured arms and chiselled chest. A large bandage was stuck above his hip.

" _Stephanie,"_ He sighed in relief and reached out to me. "Thank God you're okay… _are you okay?"_

"I'm fine." I nodded as I approached him cautiously and took his hand. "You saved my life… _again_."

He pulled me down to him and kissed me.

"And you saved mine." He whispered once we parted. "The bastard would have finished me off if you hadn't acted. By the way, remember when I told you to aim _above the waist?_ "

"Yeah?"

"Forget it. I would have laughed my ass off right there if I didn't have a bullet in me."

"I wasn't even thinking. I just did the _point and shoot_ method." I swallowed back the lump in my throat. "I wouldn't have had to shoot him if I had just kept my mouth shut…You wouldn't be here either…"

"Stephanie Michelle Plum," Carlos said softly, squeezing my hand in a tight clasp. "What happened last night was _not_ your fault. What that son-of-a-bitch did was of his own accord. You didn't lose your ground and you stood up to him. I couldn't be prouder of you."

When the tears started to fall, he shifted himself so he sat on the edge of the bed before pulling me down next to him so he could wrap his arms around me. "Remind me to tell Connie that I owe her big time for giving me your résumé."

"I owe her big time, too." I sniffed, smiling up at him.

A light vibration ran across the surface of the bed behind us.

Ranger picked up his phone and looked at the screen. His 2000-watt grin lit up his face.

"Julie and I have been texting," He explained. "I told her what happened and she's really eager to meet you."

I blinked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "You've already made a big impression on her."

Grinning, I wrapped both arms around his waist, careful not to touch the bandages as I rested my head in the crook of his neck.

" _Oh…_ by the way, Stephanie?"

I looked up at him again. "Yeah?"

His gaze upon me was warm and tender. His hand against my face was soft and loving as he gently brought our lips together.

We parted for breath.

" _I love you, too."_

The End.

* * *

 **Yes, the story was based of Beauty and the Beast!**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **Also if there are any artists (expert or amateur) out there, can I be really cheeky and ask for some art based off my FanFics? I'd love to see some ^_^**

 **Let me see via DeviantArt. My username is Immorura.**


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